A content addressable memory (CAM) is a memory device that accelerates any application requiring fast searches of a database, list, or pattern, such as in database machines, image or voice recognition, or computer and communication networks. CAMs provide benefits over other memory search algorithms by simultaneously comparing the desired information (i.e., data input to the device or in the comparand register) against the entire list of pre-stored entries. As a result of their unique searching algorithm, CAM devices are frequently employed in network equipment, particularly routers and switches, computer systems and other devices that require rapid content searching.
In order to perform a memory search in the above-identified manner, CAMs are organized differently than other memory devices (e.g., random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), etc.). For example, data is stored in a RAM in a particular location, called an address. During a memory search on a RAM, the user supplies the address and gets back the data stored in that address (location).
In a CAM, however, data is stored in locations in a somewhat random fashion. The locations can be selected by an address, or the data can be written into a first empty memory location (also known as the NFA or Next Free Address). Once information is stored in a memory location, it is found doing a memory search by comparing every bit in any memory location with every bit of data in a comparand register circuit. When the content stored in the CAM memory location does not match the data placed in the comparand register, the local match detect circuit associated with the CAM memory location returns a no-match indication. When the content stored in the CAM memory location matches the data placed in the comparand register, the local match detect circuit associated with the CAM memory location returns a match indication. If a match is found then the CAM returns the identification of the memory address location in which the matching data is stored or address locations of a highest priority memory location if more than one memory location contained matching data. Thus, with a CAM, the user supplies the data and gets back an indication of an address where a matching data is stored in the memory.
In typical applications where CAMs are utilized, it is desirable to write in new data not found in a database (a so-called learning operation), wherein when the data searched for is not found as matching data in the database, the search for data is stored in an empty location in the CAM. In prior art, the learning operation in a CAM is comprised of a sequence of operations including a) a search for the data in the database; b) a new search operation specifically to find the next free address NFA, and c) a write process wherein the new “learned” data is stored at the NFA location. Consequently, a CAM array which avoids these cumbersome and time-consuming operations is desired.